Reunion
by miniwoo
Summary: I think the title is a pretty good summary itself. Some familiar themes inside but not an ending you'd expect.
1. Her Memories

Yes I know, I have yet to reasonably update my other fics. All of my standard warnings apply but this one will not be so "mature." On with the story...

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He was obviously more excited than his wife to be seeing so many forgotten faces. As they both stood at the entrance of the grand ballroom, she realized that he had not smiled like that in a long time. It was a brilliant smile that lit up his entire face. His eyes sparkled in anticipation and delight. When had she gotten so used to seeing those half hearted smiles he forced himself to produce for her sake? They never did quite reach his eyes and always, thinking back, were strained. Tonight was different. _She_ would be there. His wife knew this and knew that _she_ had never left his thoughts.

They were perfect together, they had been the admiration of the whole school. So in love--her husband and _that _woman. He had been fortunate as a child and more so in his awkward years, which were anything but. Always part of the popular crowd--handsome, smart, athletic. He was the boy you looked up to, the boy you envied, the boy you wanted to be. Of course he would get the most sought after girl in the school. A remarkable beauty people would say. Almost too beautiful to look at, definitely untouchable, and he was the only one who could be capable of standing with this Venus. They were content basking in their royalty. His wife on the other hand, had not been so fortunate.

Her childhood was filled with abuse. Her family was wealthy, but she had learned there is always a price for comfort. Perhaps the stress of keep up such a high profile is what caused her suffering. She was never good enough. Her 4.0 GPA did nothing to satisfy her parents. She was often ridiculed by her father for not being able to surpass her siblings accomplishments. It would not be enough to have high scores, graduate top of the class, earn an early Ph.D., or have her works be published as an undergrad. These near impossibilities were already taken by her brothers and sister. Her mother would try to persuade her to see a plastic surgeon and had dragged her to a handful of consultations. A few times appointments were actually made. She had to hide for days to avoid going under the knife. Sometimes her hiding forced her to take refuge on the streets, sleeping next to dumpsters. Her mother eventually gave up on trying to make her daughter beautiful, at least her version of beautiful. Her father never stopped. At every turn he would insist upon her insignificance. Those years had been very unkind. She became an awkward, self-conscious, wall flower during the time that was supposed to be the best of her life.

The ballroom was ornately decorated. It should be for the five star hotel the reunion was held in. It was their ten year high school reunion. His wife often wondered what had happened to their five year reunion. Oh yes, _she_ had been the class president and reunions were the responsibility of the elected class officials. Five years ago _she_ had still been in exile so there was no five year reunion. The room was colorfully lit, enhanced by the cheerfulness and shocked surprise of its guests. Elegantly dressed adults were happily recalling joyful times with old friends and acquainting themselves with new ones. As they were about to go in his wife caught a glimpse of a familiar face in the crowd. She smiled as a flash of the only happy memories she had of those times; no, she frowned, had at all, came to the surface of her mind.

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So yeah, new fic! hehe, just a short one. This will probably only be about 3 chapters. I'm blaming my composition professor, this started out as a writing exercise and the plot bunny would not go back in the hole. Speaking of which I decided to look up plot bunny, I was curious as to how the definition presented itself and I found a really derogatory one, very rude point of view. Anyway this will be short, quick, but not necessarily sweet. Oh yeah, I decided to wait until next chapter to write who is who. R & R please!


	2. His Reaction

Hey all! Long time no see, hehe. So this is the second of three chapters. I decided to keep the same style of writing as before and leave people nameless, I think we can all figure out who is who and if it helps read any pronouns in italics with emphasis. That way you know that they are the other person.

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His eyes darted around the ornate room in excitement. A brilliant smile on his face, a contrast to the cold businessman he was supposed to be. Right now he looked like a child who had just received the toy he'd been hoping for as a gift. As his eyes roved he caught the ones he had been seeking. The gift he'd been deprived of as a child. The gift that was taken from him so many years ago all because of _this _woman by his side. His hand clenched hers harder and he saw her flinch out of the corner of his eye, but he also noticed that she did not look to him as she normally would have. He was her world, he knew that she was born to be his. As inadequate as she was, her life and all that she was, was carefully groomed from birth to be nothing but anything that he needed or could ever want. It was too bad that she wasn't what he ever wanted. He only wanted _her_.

He looked back to where his obsidian gift had been and found them lost once more. Again because of the distraction on his arm. He tugged her forward and watched as her eyes never strayed from the view she found so interesting on the right side of the ballroom. He felt her tug slightly in an attempt to head in that direction. The bar was there so he stepped ahead and pulled her toward it. As he got closer he saw what she had been looking at-_him_. The only one who could make his wife defy the nature that was ingrained in her.

_That_ _man_ had been the only one to make his wife stray from the perfect doll. It was one time. It only took one time and her eyes would forever search, looking for the turquoise of freedom. They'd never been physical, of that he was sure; but her smiles, the smiles that were crafted solely for him were never so heartfelt as they were for _that one_. He could already see the corners of her luscious mouth lift. Soft, endearing eyes filled with happiness, and her head tilted cutely as they greeted each other with a light embrace. He gave the obligatory hand shake. Both men gripping each other tightly in a show of strength that would never be decided. _This boy_ grew stronger over the years and he couldn't help feeling a little insecure despite his status.

In a sudden move, his wife's savior reached behind him and threw a woman at him. The lost love returned and literally thrust upon him. He felt his wife's hand slide from his and watched as spiky white and dark blue-black heads disappeared into the crowd. His anger showed until a throat clearing returned his attention his woman. Only she was not his woman any longer. His wife had imprinted herself on him so that she could never be erased or truly look at another. He tried to maintain his focus on the one he lost, the one he found, the one who was trying to catch up with him now. However, he was too distracted by _that_ _man_ and his wife's musical laughter. Laughter he never knew she had. He tore himself away from what he thought he wanted and stormed over to the one he knew he needed.

Both turquoise and sapphire turned to him in surprise at the angry growl that emitted from him. In petulance like a child taking back the toy that another had stolen, he roughly yanked her away from _his_ grasp and stomped out of the extravagant ballroom, out of the five star hotel, and out of the lives of those he wished never to see again.

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A/n: Thank you to Anna for the review and very nice request for an update. I realized that I'm not doing any work until Monday and since I already know how this one is going to go, it makes the most sense to update it. I know it's short and next chap. will probably be even shorter. I hope that the content and idea are able to make up for it. Sometimes when it feels like a right place to stop, you stop.

Also thanks to nijiryuu and morning rush for your reviews.


	3. The Blame Game

So this one is a bit different from the other 2 chaps. in style. Before the characters had their thoughts narrated but here, they are their own. Partly because it was more of Kenshin's chapter, though, I did plan to have some dialogue in it from the beginning but part of the reason is also because it's been too long-no matter how many times I've thought about it, I feel like I kind of lost it.

'_thoughts' _

"dialogue"

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'_It's your fault,'_ thought the man standing over the grave. He was so handsome, dressed in a custom Armani suit. Of course only the best for him.

'_It's all your fault,'_ the mantra played over and over in his head as he kept his face low so no one would see, though he'd made sure no one else would be there.

'_You know that right?'_ He needed to be sure the woman knew her place, knew that this was her doing, with his fists clenched tightly.

'_Everything.'_ The reason why their life ended like this.

'_The stupid marriage.'_ Forced by her craftiness.

'_My obsidian treasure being locked way.'_ The one he loved banished into exile because of her distrust of his fidelity.

'_Your cruel smiles.'_ Always tentative for him but so full of joy for another.

'_Your shining eyes.'_ That seemed to dull around him in a never ending search for her savior.

'_Your silky hair.'_ He never told her how he would run his fingers though it while she slept. It was the only comfort he had at the end of the day.

But he'd never say such a thing, this man. This strong, brilliant, and independent man. This man who was forced into a marriage with unrequited love, forced to give up his previous life with his love, forced to let that love go in disgrace, forced to see his wife's smile everyday, see her eyes shine when he would come home, feel her soothing silky strands only when she would never know.

'_My suffering.'_ In his delusional mind he believes he has suffered greatly and as his head rises to the sky, his eyes shut as the rain falls around him.

"You know it's your fault right? That everything turned out the way it did."

It was an angry voice behind the man. He was supposed to have been alone. That was the arrangement he'd made.

"..."

"If you weren't such a coward things would have been different. I would have made her happy and you know it."

He knew many things. That is why he did what needed to be done.

"Why couldn't you have just let her go you selfish bastard!"

He felt himself get pulled back and spun around. In a flurry of white, the next thing he knew he was on the ground, face first in the fresh puddle of mud. He stayed there as he heard men struggling to get the other away amidst angry shouts. Shouts that put the blame on him.

He sat up and faced the same stone he was initially standing in front of.

No one really knew.

He wasn't the one at fault.

It was her.

All her fault.

So deep in his perpetual lament he barely heard a man tell him he had five minutes left.

Five minutes, he thought, was all his life amounted to. These last five minutes.

It was all her fault so he ended her suffering.

Without her, his suffering was supposed to end.

Funny thing, it was all her fault that he only suffered more, that he could not just let her go peacefully.

The only thing he could do is join her.

In his only show of deference to her, he pulled out the knife hidden in his pocket and cleanly ran it across his throat.

He, as her husband, bled for her.

He fell onto the grave and let the blood seep into the earth. It would join her buried body and they would finally be together.

She was made for him and so she will remain only his.

おわり(owari)

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Thanks to all of those who faved and alerted. You have all been infinitely patient. A special thanks to those who reviewed: nijiryuu, morning rush, anna, sufferingsamurai2012, sras9, katie9, iram.


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